Ani Difranco Dilate CD

Asian edition of her 1996 album with two hidden bonus tracks, 'Shameless' (Bathtub Mix) & 'Joyful Girl' (Peace & Love Mix). 13 tracks total. 'Dilate' scored good reviews in Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, NME, the Village Voice, Option & Alternative Press. 1998 release.

Personnel: Ani DiFranco (vocals, acoustic, electric, steel & tenor guitar, Hammond organ, synthesizer, thumb piano, bass, bongos, shaker, drum programming, samples); David Travers-Smith (trumpet); Michael Ramos (Hammond organ); Andy Stochansky (drums).
Engineers include: Mark Hallman, Marty Lester, Ed Stone.
Recorded at Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas; Grant Avenue Studio, Hamilton, Canada; Chemical Sound, Toronto, Canada in December 1995 and January 1996.
Personnel: Ani DiFranco (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar, synthesizer, bongos, shaker, sampler); David Travers-Smith (trumpet); Andy Stochansky (drums).
Audio Mixer: Ani DiFranco.
Recording information: Chemical Sound, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (12/1995-01/1996); Congress House Studio, Austin, TX (12/1995-01/1996); Grant Avenue Studio, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (12/1995-01/1996).
Photographer: Mark Van-S.
Unknown Contributor Role: Ani DiFranco.
Arranger: Ani DiFranco.
Ani DiFranco doesn't really expand her sonic palette on Dilate, but she doesn't need to. DiFranco racked up a dedicated cult audience on the basis of her conviction. There's not much melody on any of her songs, but there are messages and, thankfully, a fair share of humor. Dilate suffers from a bit too much repetition, but when DiFranco lands on a good hook -- such as "Superhero" or "Done Wrong" -- the results suggest that she could reach a wider audience. ~ Thom Owens
Expanding musically beyond the folk-rock-ish guitar pop of its two immediate predecessors, NOT A PRETTY GIRL and OUT OF RANGE, Ani DiFranco's seventh album in six years adds Hammond organ, synthesizer, bass, and even trumpet to what was once a stark musical vision. Though DiFranco supplies much of the instrumentation, longtime drummer Andy Stochansky and a few other collaborators assist.
DiFranco successfully expands her musical frontiers without compromising her fierce self-determination. As always, this is a major lyrical theme on DILATE, particularly on the title track and "Napoleon," a scathing and self-aware treatise on DiFranco's tenuous position as a best-selling "voice for women." Critics were puzzled by the keyboard-led, beat-heavy rearrangement of the spiritual "Amazing Grace," but DiFranco's next releases, the Utah Phillips collaboration THE PAST DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE and the MORE JOY, LESS SHAME remix EP, explored this new musical direction in greater detail.

Rolling Stone (6/13/96, p.85) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...while most devoutly `political' artists stress polemics, DiFranco stresses music....she's at her best when she picks somber guitar phrases and lets her voice trail off into a whisper. Her self-deprecating humor prevents her personal songs from becoming sappy or self-righteous..."
Spin (7/96, pp.93-94) - 7 (out of 10) - "...a song cycle excavating an unrequited obsession that knocked the wind out of her. DILATE's core conflict is DiFranco's pain as the other woman....DiFranco retains her knack for the well-cut phrase, and that's what razors some of these behemoths down to size..."
Entertainment Weekly (5/24/96, p.98) - "...DiFranco's songs and voice grab you between the ears and won't let go." - Rating: B+
Alternative Press (10/96, p.82) - 4 (out of 5) - "...she goes electric, adding a Hammond organ, sequenced drums and synths to her songs that blend punk's anger with a folksy belief in the power of protest..."
Option (9-10/96, p.102) - "...DILATE smoothes out DiFranco's rough edges a little....DiFranco handles out-right love songs like `Superhero' with surprising ease, and even strays from her usual six-string folk, experimenting with things like echo tracks and synthesizers..."
Village Voice (2/25/97) - Ranked #22 in the Village Voice's 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
NME (Magazine) (8/3/96, p.45) - 6 (out of 10) - "...Ani Di Franco is her very own one-woman music industry. Ceaseless touring and a total of eight albums--all self-produced, self-financed...have made her a grass roots sensation over the pond..."